Three-dimensional printing, which typically works by building parts in layers, is a process used for the building up of three-dimensional objects. Three-dimensional printing is relatively speedy and flexible, allowing for the production of prototype parts, tooling and rapid manufacturing of three-dimensional complex structures directly from a CAD file, for example.
Using three-dimensional printing may enable a manufacturer to obtain a full three-dimensional model of any proposed product before tooling, thereby possibly substantially reducing the cost of tooling and leading to a better synchronization between design and manufacturing. A lower product cost and improved product quality may also be obtained.
Using three-dimensional printing also enables the direct manufacturing of full three-dimensional objects, thereby substantially reducing costs and leading to a better synchronization between design, production and consumption (use). A lower product cost and improved product quality may thus also be obtained.
Various systems have been developed for computerized three-dimensional printing. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,962 to the Assignees of the present application, and incorporated herein by reference, embodiments of an apparatus and a method for three-dimensional model printing are described. The apparatus according to some embodiments in this patent include a printing head having a plurality of nozzles, a dispenser connected to the printing head for selectively dispensing interface material in layers, and curing means for optionally curing each of the layers deposited. The depth of each deposited layer may be controllable by selectively adjusting the output from each of the plurality of nozzles.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/412,618 to the Assignees of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference, embodiments are described including an apparatus and a method for three-dimensional model printing. Some embodiments of this application describe a system and a method for printing complex three-dimensional models by using interface materials having different hardness or elasticity and mixing the interface material from each of the printing heads to control the hardness of the material forming the three-dimensional model. The construction layers of the model may be formed from interface material having a different (harder) modulus of elasticity than the material used to form the release (and support) layers, thereby allowing for the forming of complex shapes.
Radiation curable inks are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,303,924, 5,889,084, and 5,270,368. U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,924 discloses, inter alia, radiation curable compositions for jet-drop printing containing multifunctional ethylenically unsaturated material, monofunctional ethylenically unsaturated material, a reactive synergist, a dye colorant and an oil soluble salt. U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,084 discloses, inter alia, a radiation curable ink composition for ink-jet printing which includes a cationically photoreactive epoxy or vinyl ether monomer or oligomer, a cationic photo-initiator and a coloring agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,368 discloses, inter alia, a UV curable ink composition for ink-jet printing including a resin formulation having at least two acrylate components, a photo-initiator and an organic carrier.
The ink compositions disclosed in these references are typically formulated for use in ink-jet printing. Compositions for ink-jet printing are typically formulated differently from compositions for building three-dimensional objects, and thus have different properties. For example, high viscosity at room temperature is a desirable property for three-dimensional objects, and thus compositions for building three-dimensional objects are typically designed to have a high viscosity at room temperature. In contrast, compositions for ink-jet printing are designed to have low viscosity at room temperature in order to function well in the printing process. None of the above-mentioned references disclose compositions that are especially formulated for three-dimensional printing.
Radiation curable compositions for stereolithography are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,316. U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,316 discloses compounds having at least one vinyl ether group, which also contain in the molecule at least one other functional group such as an epoxy or an acrylate group; compositions including these compounds; and methods of producing three-dimensional objects using these compositions. The compounds of U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,316 are complex molecules that are not readily available and thus need to be especially synthesized, which incurs additional time and costs.
Thus, there is a need for simple, easily obtainable curable compositions, that are specially formulated to construct a three-dimensional object. There is further a need for simple, easily obtainable curable compositions, that are specially formulated to provide support to a three-dimensional object, by forming support/and or release layers around the object during its construction. Lastly, there is a need for methods of constructing a three-dimensional object having improved qualities.